Camillion
by sakura0617
Summary: Ryoma x Sakuno centric, in which love takes on diffferent forms. #8 Winter Wonderland - "Yes, the man had better resign himself to the fact that he was utterly entranced."
1. Shades of Brown

How many different shades of brown could there be? He wondered as sunlight slowly spread across the sleeping girl's figure. Hazel blended into golden light that filtered through the rustling trees. Where one shade of carmel chocolate ended and the subtle hue of honey dyed yellow began seemed indistinguishable to the appraiser as he lazily ran his fingers through smooth ringlets.

It was funny how before he met her, everything had been divided into existing tones of monochrome gray and the only thing he could see was the stark contrast of a neon yellow tennis ball. The yellow no longer hurt his eyes to look at, because now various degrees of color tinged his vision with confidence.

The male gave a tiny smile as he mused, who would've thought that the pillar of Seigaku drew its strength from this small slumbering form? A soft clear voice stirred him from his reverie inquiring,

"Ryoma-kun, Daijoubu?"

He looked down into warm brown eyes. He was wrong when he thought brown could only contain the color _brown_, because within those eyes he saw the multicolored world reflected back at him.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sakuno had loved Ryoma-kun from the very beginning, and the more she thought about it the more she realized how much she had changed. How funny she thought, that everywhere she looked she saw flashes of deep emerald winking at her in the glistening sunlight. She had always possessed a broad range of color throughout her life, no matter how shy she seemed to others.

She knew the sky was made of many scattered colors, reflecting only the steady stream of clear blue. Nevertheless, ever since she met Ryoma-kun even the sky reflected hints of the emerald green buried beneath. Now her world had been dyed a permanent monochrome emerald that would ever so often peek through. She was determined to leave behind her shyness and her stutters as this new bewildering emerald quickly took hold of her life.

It seemed she no longer held her head down, if only to look at the emerald-colored sky.

* * *

Just had to get this out of my head...hehe. As you can probably see the theme here is color. No matter what I do I just can't seem to get away from the topic of art...artist by nature isn't that what they say? Anyway please review! I'll give you a cookie ;) Bribery? O: naw...


	2. Labryinth

Thump. Thump. Thump. Whether this nerve wrecking sound was the sound of his palpable heart or the sound of a tennis ball colliding with the ground, Ryoma could not tell. All he could see was the blur of yellow in an indistinguishable haze of olive green court.

His nerves were on overdrive, he could feel the sweat tickle his face, teasing his sanity as it beckoned forth an ill-fitting attempt at what appeared to be laughter. Each sensation felt magnified until every sound brought mind numbing pain as it seared through his skull, but that was okay, in fact it was more than okay as long as he was distracted.

The momentary flashes where he could still see her detailed face so clearly hurt even more. Those amber eyes gripped his waking hours, refusing to let go, and in the midst of this cruelty, he wondered how he could still feel a sweet sensation just beyond its edges. That intoxicating warmth hid beneath its caress something far worse, like honey on a razor edge, a crippling agony.

Suddenly he was aware of pressure beneath his feet, and now Ryoma came to realize he was running. He was no longer in control of his body, but then he had to ask himself if he had ever been in control in the first place. Now the race was over, his feet which stood perfectly still, felt foreign to him. In fact he couldn't quite process the scene taking place before him.

A white veil drifted into focus, while tendrils of carmel locks danced lightly in a succession of fine lace. Honey colored light embraced the figure in an auburn glow. Then as if it were an apparition, crimson red spread across the flawless figure, leaving behind its corrupt markings. The crimson trail flowed freely until it tainted the man next to the figure. Slowly the light that had shielded the figure dimmed, until darkness swallowed up the vision before Ryoma.

Now he was standing before a mirror, and staring back at him were a pair of catlike eyes that blazed in golden fury. Those hands held the lifeless brunette still stained crimson red. The man in the mirror was _him_. Now _he_ was holding the brunette, but his vision still a blur. In a confused gesture Ryoma reached up to touch the tears obstructing his vision.

He knew what appeared before him must be a lie, or maybe a terrible joke played on him by an unforgiving God. Before him was a gray slab, slightly worn down by the unraveling of time, and in delicate little carvings were the words so carefully etched:

_In Memory of Ryoma who died May 15th._

This was just a dream, he thought, only an...eternal slumber.

* * *

Hmm...someone was in a dreary mood x3 I think this was just one of those confusing rambles I had to get out of my head, even I don't really know what I was driving at..still I felt like I had to write something a little darker, you know? Anyway please review! Reviews make the world go round.


	3. Attraction

Tap, tap, tap. Sakuno had never been one to complain, but now facing a delay that pulled at the edges of her patience like the constant nattering of an irritable fly, she could not help but give into the swell of petulant thoughts prodding their way through her weary state. Not to mention the massive amounts of caffeine intake required to keep her system running only fueled to further the peevish dismay. Seriously, a twenty hour delay!

Following this unpleasant line of thought further; she abruptly stood up pacing her way up and down the length of the nearly empty airport. She was so absorbed in what little comfort the lulling movement of her limbs provided, that she failed to notice the figure heading her way. In an inevitable collision brought on by her mindlessness, Sakuno found herself pinned to the ground by a rather curious weight heavier than her own.

The weight quickly disappeared followed by an outstretched hand that was quite forcefully thrust in front of her own face. The hand was received with a torrent of murmured apologies occasionally interrupted by a stutter or two."S-sumimasen. A-ano Daijoubu?"The recipient of the prattled apologies watched the flustered woman with a gleam of interest. There was a certain charm to the brunette that the male couldn't pinpoint, for he was not one to give much thought to the opposite sex, instead he contented himself with abiding in a state of indifference.

With a sudden urge to tease the brunette even further the man cut through the increasingly incoherent mumbles with a short remark,"Be careful those braids of yours could hurt someone."In one swift motion he reached down to kiss the edges of soft strands, releasing the locks from their bound state. Sakuno felt her face grow hot as her hair fell in waves around her, convincing herself that the heat had nothing to do with the man's physical features but rather her rising anger.

"Who do you think you are?"Her stutters were instantly replaced by a more aggressive stance, which frankly reminded the man of his Himalayan cat when angered. Perhaps it was because this woman reminded him of his cat, that she captured his interest so. What befuddled him the most however, was the fact that the brunette genuinely had no idea who he was. With a handsome smirk, the man placed a magazine in the brunette's hands.

On the front cover was a neon yellow tennis ball. The man then proceeded to walk away, leaving behind one thoroughly confused woman. Echizen Ryoma was very well aware of the effect he had on women, he saw the way they fumbled for an excuse to talk to him. However, as he walked away he couldn't help but notice an unfamiliar feeling. Was it uncertainty? What if he never saw her again? Nevertheless the fleeting moment of confusion passed as he took a glance back. From the expression on her face he knew they would be meeting each other very soon indeed.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Ne, Okaasan is it true that from the moment you met Otousan you knew he was the one? Otousan said you contacted him first, and that he was pleasantly surprised when you did."

Sakuno said nothing but smiled down at her daughter in amusement. Ryoma hid a blush underneath his trademark white cap. Little did the young girl know, her father had so cleverly left his number for her mother to find in a magazine. After all Sakuno was the only woman to ever capture Ryoma's attention, but her father would never admit that. Amber eyes met golden orbs as they twinkled with laughter.

"Want some more Ponta, dear?"


	4. Medicine

It was a nice day, with clouds like puffs of tasty marshmallows drifting lazily about. The water all around ran in small swirls of turquoise and deep royal blue while fish from all spectrums of the rainbow danced happily in respect. Sunlight glistened off the waves, blinding any onlookers brave enough to stare directly into them. Then there was poor Ryoma who had come down with an annoying cold that stuck to him as viciously as the pack of fervid fan girls surrounding the tennis courts day and night. He wondered if they ever slept. Probably not, he finally decided.

As if that wasn't bad enough, his head felt warmer than usual, sprouting symptoms of vivid illusions that were just as persistent as the cold itself was. Ryoma felt as if his head was stuck permanently on repeat, while the unrelenting images continued to plague his consciousness. However this cold was different from the ones he usually had, Ryoma concluded. The coughing fits often accompanied by scattered intervals of sneezing were nowhere to be seen. Ryoma felt his head again, and was once more greeted by the telltale signs of feverish heat that confirmed his previous suspicions.

A slight movement to the right of Ryoma interrupted his scattered reverie as the scent of cherry blossoms greeted him. It was perfect timing, seeing as the source of his currently troubled state now settled beside him. Maybe if he observed the figure next to him long enough he could figure out what was happening to him. To his dismay, Ryoma noted in between stolen glances, that his heated state began to worsen. Brunette locks brushed by his arm in soft caresses, working with the sweet scent as it compelled his senses. He began to perspire slightly while something rattled his insides, like a bunch of wound up butterflies.

What did they call this feeling? A part of his mind whispered it was his nerves, but Ryoma couldn't quite believe it, seeing as the feeling was different from when he was playing his tennis matches. He had always felt a sort of anticipation mixed with a touch of anxiety before even the most important of matches. Perhaps he had never known what it felt like to be nervous after all. His smug personality certainly suggested the fact. Nevertheless, this new feeling completely overwhelmed him as the prince of tennis, for the first time, felt out of control. It was not a sensation he particularly liked.

Ryoma was starting to feel slightly sluggish as he became more and more aware of the rhythmic swaying of the boat slowly lulling him to slumber. A new urge began to drown out his other thoughts, as he found his head leaning to the side, until it was supported by the figure to his right. He felt strangely warm and content, the previous uneasiness forgotten. Even in his drowsy state Ryoma could notice that his fever had stopped, along with the illusions that had flooded his mind incessantly. One thought registered itself in his mind right before he nodded off.

"This strange sickness stops when I'm with her."

Ryoma decided then that he should touch Sakuno more often. Besides, the thought of using her as his medicine didn't seem like such a bad idea after all.

* * *

Yes it's been done before I know xP but I blame it on the cruise, its too nice outside and I had to write something like this! Anyways stick around for more cause the next update will be in Sakuno's POV. Please Review!


	5. Shadowland

Only a flash of the briefest shadow revealed a flicker of itself in the dark forest, a sight most unusual as the normally quiet woodlands slowly stirred from its lengthy slumber. A trickle of sweat trailed down the swift figure, as pale hands reached in a foreign gesture to relieve the perspiration. In a sardonic manner the figure broke the paper thin silence with a chuckle that wavered slightly, tittering on the border between amusement and weariness.

_"I must be getting old."_

The terse remark revealed hints of well practiced irony as perfectly sculpted features danced visible only to the moonlight. In the dark, emerald orbs flashed dangerously, making it no less of menace in the false security of the cloaking shade. Then as suddenly as the movement began, it stopped, shifting its attention to the surrounding shrubbery. A slight shift in wind accompanied the new tension that filled the chilly air. Now it seemed the forest was truly awake with energy that crackled and pulled at the seams of the open field ahead. A pulse of energy hummed, searing its way through the chaotic vibrations easily until it reached its target.

The motionless figure allowed a tiny smirk to escape, as it tensed waiting for the inevitable encounter.

_"Are you not one of the cursed clan?"_

The invisible voice echoed as it leaped from every direction feeding off the very walls of the ancient forest. A slight raise of the eyebrow betrayed the figure's interest as it responded in a mocking manner

_"Am I? Why don't you come and see for yourself?"_

As if to humor the speaker, a bright flash appeared from the surrounding trees welcoming the arrival of a feminine apparition. The woman was clad in slivers of light that circled her silhouette, vaguely reminiscent of adoring felines. In elegant steps she made her way towards the waiting figure until the two were mirrored face to face. The woman's encircling light arched gracefully poised for command, as sharp fangs flashed silently, waiting.

In a flurry of movement, white slivers weaved in and out in the blackness of the night dancing as the grass rustled in the breeze. A dark cloud passed over the moon, and in its absence, silence engulfed the suddenly still forest. Auburn locks spread across the ground in flowing ringlets as the figure above bound the shimmering light precariously close to its owner.

_"Ahh. It's been a while since I have seen a daughter of the forest. A much appreciated encounter, I must say I was growing rather bored."_

The dark figure leaned down slowly to give a ghost of a whisper, stopping dangerously close to the now trapped female's lips. Their breaths mingled in the night as warm puffs of air enveloped the silent rivalry.

_"Hmm. Then let me cure you of this boredom. Shall I?"_

The musical voice rang in a soft caress, as the female reached up closing the distance between the two figures. A rising heat began to build as the competition for dominance ensued. In a small moment of distraction, the female sensed an opening and seized the opportunity to strike. With a blinding flash the opposing male lay flat on the ground, his limbs taking this opportunity to rest.

_"Still bored? I can show you more if you'd like."_

The female rose above the idle male as a quick glimmer in her eyes exposed her growing intrigue. A smirk returned her smug look, as the male replied.

_"I wouldn't mind repeating that again…. just maybe not the last part. After all I had no idea you daughters possess such skills for pleasing others."_

He gave a quick wink, and in an instant black wings stretched out filling the nearly empty clearing.

_"I know my company will be missed. However, I think its time for me to take my leave. I sense the dawn will be nearing soon."_

A strong blast of wind fanned the female's face as a disapproving look began to color her features. Then with a quick shake of her head she sighed.

_"Son of the night, I shall let you go this time. For I am tired and you have disturbed my rest as well."_

The winged figure now high in the sky called back one last time.

_"Daughter of the forest have no fear for we shall have another encounter once more. Next time we shall see who is more skilled!"_

The figure vanished into still dark sky, taking along with it the last of the black remains. Then whole forest shuddered as if to return to its peaceful slumber once more, while slivers of light winked back at the growing daylight.

* * *

Wow I must be influenced too much by the things i'm reading. Anyway I just had to get this out of my head, and just in case it wasn't clear, I intended Ryoma to be a vampire and Sakuno to be a forest witch..haha my first attempt at writing in the supernatural genre. Please review they make me very happy!


	6. Jealousy

Ryoma was not_ jealous_, he was merely annoyed if you could even call it that, everyone knew the prince of tennis did not get jealous. In fact, the obnoxious whispers and giggles emanating from a nearby bush was the most probable cause of his annoyance, definitely not _jealousy, _he inwardly cringed at such a ridiculous possibility. How obvious could his friends be? If it wasn't Momo-senpai's telltale spiky hair protruding from the said shrubbery, then it was Eiji-senpai's high pitched squeals of "Ochibi-chaan, nyaa!" that gave it away. Or maybe it was the fact that normal bushes don't shake or move by themselves...Nevertheless, no matter how distracting his senpais were Ryoma quickly found his attention drawn back to the scene before him.

He watched silently as Sakuno ran her fingers through _someone else's _hair. Pale digits swayed back and forth through the tangles with ease, it was apparent to any onlooker that those loving motions had been repeated time and time again, until such familiarity was brought forth. Despite his earlier claim, golden eyes narrowed in barely concealed rage, because those slim hands could only be _his._

Where had the little girl watching his every move through adoring eyes, on court or not, disappeared to? Gone were the pigtails that he believed disrupted her balance, only Sakuno could trip more times than all of Ryoma's wins totaled. Now those pigtails were replaced by flowing amber ringlets, grace (this one Ryoma had yet to get used to), and curves that filled out in all the right places if not more. Ryoma felt a little pang of regret as this new woman transformed before his eyes, almost unrecognizable from the past. Yet it was only through her change that she had managed to capture his attention.

At first he was merely curious, what had caused this sudden shift? Then he began to notice even the littlest of things, the way she played with the ring on her finger when she was nervous, the way her smile was slightly crooked but merely added to the appeal, and even the way she smelled of fresh flowers after the rain. Looking at her now Ryoma felt he had the right to be a little protective, at least that was what he was telling himself, after all _he_ was the hero of her childhood dreams.

Ryoma had not noticed that a small growl was making its way through him until her eyes met his. A slow startle passed her features, and then she smiled. Ryoma was not prepared for what happened next, before he knew it he was making his way to the two figures rather quickly.

"Ryoma-kun? What's wrong?"

Her eyes danced mischievously. Her expression irritatingly innocent. Her lips-

"mmm-mmhph!"

"Ryoma! What are you doing?"

Sakuno gasped her placid expression now gone, replaced by disbelief.

"You were touching someone else."

Ryoma merely offered, his cap obstructing his face. The sound of laughter erupted from the female as she chocked out in between breathless giggles.

"You- w-ere- jeal-ous-"

Then came the inevitable accusation.

"- of a Cat!"

Ryoma scowled then quickly muttered.

"Karupin isn't just a cat- I swear he's plotting something..."

Sakuno merely nodded seriously then replied.

"Well, I knew you were bound to get over your cat complex someday. Right honey? "

Karupin chose this moment to bury himself into Sakuno's chest, purr and all. The prince of tennis shot the furry figure a glare.

_**Game. Set. Match. **_

* * *

Surprise? Probably not...I bet a lot of you saw that coming, haha. I just had to write a little drabble, and what's more fun than a jealous Ryoma? Anyway if you like, please review! Reviews are my caffine :3


	7. She Paints The Streets

A woman sits and feels

How familiar all this is.

The motions she has repeated countless times,

But it is the promise of what will appear

That lures her in.

Deeper and deeper into a trance

Line after line, curve after curve.

She creates

Possibilities.

However this time, she stares at the empty page

And draws a blank.

And she fears she will never move forward,

So she closes her eyes.

Only to open them and find

A man standing before her.

He smiles gently and hands her a battered coin.

She takes a breath

In order to listen to

The comfort seep into the silence.

It is enough to urge her hands into action

As she feels every movement of the brush

Leading her to her final destination.

Her hands finally still

And when the time arrives

Her eyes open and she sees.

A mess,

A masterpiece.

She stares at the man on the page and finds,

A blend of color,

A jumble of lines,

All hidden in a stroke of confidence.

Now she can say

She paints the streets.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x X

He watches her.

Her hands, they glide

Seamlessly as if to capture the sky itself.

They mold, they destroy

And hold within their grasp the breath of life.

But this time her hands are still

They hold no more life.

Instead he sees a swell of fear

Where she is, on the streets

For the first time.

So he stands and waits,

Waits for her hands to move.

To once again bring him life

And take him away

To a place where there is only her.

He stands, and stands

To no avail.

Until he reaches into faded pockets

And touches a worn out coin.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x X

A girl stands on the streets.

In one hand is a battered coin

In the other, a worn out brush.

All around her is chaos,

Harsh colors scream her name

On neon signs.

_Echizen!_

She walks past a painting

Of a man, with her eyes

And her smile

Hanging behind a glass vault.

Closely guarding her secret

Of her relation

To fame.

And the girl walks past

With sure steps

Filled with determination.

Because she knows

That one day in the future

Her time will come.

To paint the streets.

* * *

This was based off of something I wrote for class…I know it's rough and there are probably plenty of grammar mistakes. It's my first time trying this style of writing…so go easy on me x3 Just to explain, I meant for the first POV to be Sakuno's then Ryoma's then their child's (the last one was probably confusing..so I'll leave it up to your interpretation, yep I am taking the lazy way out ;P)


	8. Winter Wonderland

_Winter Wonderland_

_Plop_. A moment of silence was then interrupted by the forceful muttering of curses piercing through the stillness of the utterly white void surrounding.

How had he managed to get here?

A certain dark figure wondered with a slightly aspirated sigh that drew itself into a thick cloud of smoke. An unpleasant tingle pinched the edge of the male's ears a reddish hue as he reluctantly took a step forward.

Crunch.

Ryoma recoiled into a wince that broke his balance causing his left foot to give in. With arms flailing, a loud thud was followed by a string of even darker curses that became increasingly loud in volume.

Oh, a certain woman's idea of _fun_ was frolicking through a snow covered mountain in the middle of nowhere, and it was beginning to chip away at the disheveled man's tolerance. A nice beach with its rippling waves and inhabitable warmth would have worked just as well.

The sound of skates slicing through a crisp sheet of ice interrupted Ryoma's internal complaint as he looked up, catching a glimpse of brunette locks bobbing in and out of the white blanketed landscape.

It was ironic to note that the Prince of Tennis could not maintain his athletic prowess in this winter filled terrain, while Sakuno who was known for her awkward sense of balance seemed perfectly at ease with the slippery texture of the frozen precipitation.

By all means Ryoma couldn't even walk without tripping one way or the other! Refusing to acknowledge this embarrassing monologue any further, the resigned figure made his way towards the wooden structure seeking shelter from the penetrating coldness of the mountain.

As he gradually regained function of his limbs, Ryoma sat in numbing silence listening to the faint sloshing of boots echoing down the corridor. Yet another reason why he was not particularly fond of his current situation, the dampness that clung stubbornly to all the articles of clothing currently draped around the male's huddled frame only fed into his steady irritation.

The rustling of fabric mixed with the soft intake of breath slightly lightened Ryoma's mood as he saw Sakuno standing before him. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink and slightly tussled locks radiated softness in the dimly lit corridor of the reception.

Ryoma couldn't help the flush of heat coursing internally as it left a slightly light headed figure in it's wake. Amber eyes sparkled with traces of adrenaline as the male finally spoke.

"Hn. About time let's check in"

With a slight shake of the head the figure pulled down his cap to cover his features.

Stubbornly, the young prince trudged forward, attempting to ignore the tingling sensation emanating from his left side, in particular, from the side where the cheery young female was currently carrying a delicate tune.

One could say that if the sullen young man had a weakness, or as close to one as the man could manage, the pretty woman beside him would be it. A quick peek to his left confirmed it, the unspoiled image of a rubescent blush scattering softly across the young woman's face made the man momentarily catch his breath. Yes, the man had better resign himself to the fact that he was utterly entranced.

Dimly a corner of his mind registered the effect with silent alarm, where was his old arrogance and conceit hiding? At this moment, another blast of icy current chose to cut across the barren landscape.

Ryoma flinched as he felt a tender warmth touch his arm, and all other thoughts fled from his mind. Ryoma wryly noted that this had an effect not unlike one of a tranquilizer, and he didn't even stop to wonder if this might be his undoing.

With his guard suspended, all other noises vanished, and a genuinely unaffected smile slowly stretched across the young prince's face. Frozen in this moment, Ryoma discovered that he couldn't even feel the vile bite of the chilled air, only the slow sting of the all too consuming warmth. It was better than piping hot cider peppered in the luscious scent of roasted cinnamon.

That is, until Ryoma tripped on the fourteenth patch of invisible ice that threatened to overtake him.

A string of muttered curses echoed in the valley as the man corrected himself.

This was _almost_ better than having his butt handed to him by a slimy patch of ice. Yes, Ryoma swore it winked at him in the full glare of the glistening sunlight.

Author's note: Yep, another oneshot. I started this like a year ago and just managed to finish it now...hence some abrupt shifts. But hopefully you enjoyed this, I guess this would be a preview for the winter filled days coming (seeing as I live in Switzerland now). Reviews are much loved!


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